Sheriff, prosecutor weigh in first year stats

GALLIPOLIS — County law enforcement shared the breakdown of cases and overall strategy used between the Gallia Sheriff and Prosecutor’s Offices Thursday with Gallia Commissioners, as they looked back on the last eight months of 2017.

“The Ohio Revised Code indicates that the first of September each year the prosecutor has to report to the commissioners on criminal activity in cases that we’ve disposed of and what those dispositions have been,” said Holdren. “I have provided the commissioners between Jan. 1 through Aug. 31 numbers because that’s the only time I’ve been in office. Historically, I don’t know that this information has been presented in this fashion. In an effort to continue to be transparent as the sheriff’s office has been and mine has tried to be, we want the numbers out there and the public to know as much as they can about what we’re doing.”

Felony cases handled by the Gallia law enforcement along with the prosecutor’s office numbered around 144. New convictions brought through the 2017 year numbered around 101. Community control violations numbered around 43. New felony counts through the 2017 year numbered around 153, some individuals counting multiple offenses in a case. Felony first-degree convictions around 18. Felony second-degree convictions numbered at 10, third-degree at 26, fourth-degree at 26 and fifth-degree at 68.

Cases of intervention in lieu of conviction numbered at five where first time low-tier felony drug offenders may have held a guilty plea held in abeyance contingent upon whether they meet the treatment plan stipulations of the court. Individuals who violate the treatment plan are then sentenced.

Drug cases including felony possession and trafficking of drugs numbered around 60. Cases that did not involve possession or trafficking but which may have been motivated by a need to fuel a drug addiction such as theft numbered around 93. Total prison sentences for current cases cleared numbered at 68 and total community control sentences numbered at 70.

Total sentences ordering offenders to community-based correctional facilities numbered at 36 and total sentencing ordering drug court completion numbered at 21. Three total jury trials were held over the course of the year and a total of 86 search warrants were served through 2017, so far. Prison years accrued for total cases sentenced numbered at 372. Around 180 of those years alone came from one case involving a serial sex offender.

“We are very firm on our stance when we were both campaigning as we have taken office,” said Champlin. “Our offices have continued to communicate and work together. Every case is a case by case focus and we’re certain to not just rubber-stamp a crime. We make certain we’re side by side working through the prosecution of a case. We’re making sure that our focus is to solve the problem of the person that is bringing the drugs (into the county) and is ultimately fueling our addiction problem and property crime and we make sure to address each crime appropriately.”

Champlin and Holdren agreed that while an addict is a problem, that individual should be returned to society as an employed and productive member. Traffickers are their focus and should an addict not decide to improve as a member of society, the sole solution left was prison time.

Gallia Prosecutor Jason Holdren, left, discusses with Gallia Commissioners Harold Montgomery, David Smith and Brent Saunders, right, the breakdown of cases his office has handled since the beginning of the year and his first year in office.

https://www.mydailytribune.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/42/2017/09/web1_0907170953.jpgGallia Prosecutor Jason Holdren, left, discusses with Gallia Commissioners Harold Montgomery, David Smith and Brent Saunders, right, the breakdown of cases his office has handled since the beginning of the year and his first year in office. Dean Wright | Daily Tribune